The Q-Line: Airing it out

City Hall recently sued the Federal Aviation Administration to determine who has control of Santa Monica Airport after 2015.

So, this week The Q-Line asks:

What would you like to see happen with Santa Monica Airport? Should it still be an aviation field or something else altogether?

Here are your responses:

“I believe it should be closed to all aviation and a beautiful park should be built there for everyone to enjoy … and have it open to the people nearby, not just the pilots who seem to be able to do what they wish. I know your line will get a lot of comments from the pilots because they like to chime in, and I’d like to note that most of the pilots don’t even live in the city. It’s serving people that aren’t living in the city. I’m also concerned about the security system at the airport and what kind of security checks are run there. It’s open for anyone to just drive their car up to the airport and get into the plane. There could be drugs and money and things like that. I’d like the airport closed in any event. I’m so pleased that City Hall has filed suit against the FAA. It’s long overdue.”

“I would like to see Santa Monica Airport closed, particularly with this most recent accident. In a very real sense, the people who allow this airport to stay open were directly responsible for the severity of that accident. Had it been a safe airport, there would have been runoff room for that plane. It would not have gone straight into the hangar, which wouldn’t be there in a safe airport. It really brings home the fact that the airport needs to go and anything would be better in its place. It’s noisy, polluting and highly dangerous to everyone.”

“I’m opposed to maintaining the airport simply because I live very close to it and see the impact that it has upon the community. I find it to be reckless and irresponsible. I would very much like to see the airport become a park or a mixed-use space that could have sport facilities, perhaps even entertainment facilities, but mostly a park that benefits all of Santa Monica and the surrounding community versus the airport, which really just benefits a small special interest group.”

“The closing of Santa Monica Airport is long overdue. It has been a love canal in Santa Monica and Los Angeles for too long. The land needs to become a great park. Close Santa Monica Airport, we need this great park.”

“I’ve lived here since the 1970s. First of all, the airport had giant signs that said “No jets,” so the worst scenario will be to have prop planes, but the best scenario is to have a multi-purpose park for senior citizens, for artists, bike routes, tennis courts, you name it.”

“Please keep the Santa Monica Airport as an airport. The people who live around the airport are nothing but cry babies. They want to cry now even though they bought their houses way after the airport was built. They knew the planes were going overhead, but now they want to be cry babies about it. They should get over it and grow up.”

“With the exception of a few single-engine planes for the purpose of rescue and emergencies, it’s time to go from plane to park.”

“Santa Monica Airport should be completely shut down. Neighbors of the airport should not have their health and safety encroached on any more, and they should not feel like they are living in a combat zone. All for the benefit of the filthy rich. Enough is enough! If Santa Monica decides to keep it open, both the city and the airport should be renamed Satin Monica.”

“I would like to see Santa Monica Airport decommissioned and turned into a park. As a Mar Vista resident, my voice doesn’t have much weight in Santa Monica, but I am subject to the noise, fumes and pollution of the airport and would like to see it close. A great park would be fantastic!”

“I would like to see the Santa Monica Airport closed. It would be great if it were converted to a park like New York’s Central Park. I like the visions of the Airport2Park team. More bike riding paths would be great. It would be awesome if there was a pool like at SM College with both an adult lap pool and a kids pool, something that could possibly convert to a skate rink in the winter. A skateboard park would be nice to further the vision that was started with the kids playground, the dog park and sports fields that are already there.”

“SMO should be shut down and turned into a park.”

“I would like to see Santa Monica airport close to all but emergency air flights, such as those needed to respond to earthquake relief or medical catastrophes. I want the SMO land to be used for a large open space park (such as that being proposed by Airport2Park) benefiting the health and wellbeing of the surrounding community, rather than the current use as an airport that creates harmful health effects such as noise, lead emissions, ultra-fine particulates and black carbon.”

“I believe this area should become a park with a small amount of truly affordable housing for seniors/disabled piggy-backed on buildings already present.”

“Something else altogether! A park would be nice.”

“After 30 years of being constantly awakened rudely by the fierce sound of jets and helicopters in the night and finding black soot on my lemons, oranges and outdoor furniture coupled with headaches from jet fumes, I would like to see a beautiful park where I can walk peacefully after work, a place of recreation, where my grandchildren can play and hunt for critters under rocks and in a stream, a park that all of Santa Monica can enjoy and be proud of. There must be a more ecologically sound use of prime land in such a beautiful town than this polluted irritant of an airport. Finally, I want to stop fearing the next plane crash will land on my house.”

“Shut it down. Whatever they put there can’t be as bad as the airport.”

“No more airport please! Ecology first. A first-class Echo Park pond would be great for locals, tourists and the birds too. Santa Monica needs to recapture its natural senses.”

“As a homeowner near the Santa Monica Airport, I cannot imagine any better use for that magnificent property than a large multi-use park. Let’s work together to make it happen.”